Frank w



F. w. SLADY.

`FLASHLIGHT. APPucAnoN man )uns u. 1919.

gramma Feb.22,1921.

A TTOH/VEY UNITED FRANK W. SLADY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE CONNECTICUT `ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF IBRDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A COR- f' PORATION OFY CONNECTICUT.

Specication of Letters Patent.

FLASHLTGHT.

Patented Feb. 22, i921.

Application led June 11, 1919. Serial No. 303,428.

To all 'whom it may concern i citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Flashlights, "of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to electrictorches or flash lights,so called, of the type comprising a casing inclo'sing a dry battery and provided with an electric lamp supplied with current from said battery.

The invention has for its objects to pro- Y vide' anfimproved device yof this character having av casing which, while readily accessible for the purpose of renewing the battery or lamp, is, when closed, substantially moisture-- proof, thereby avoiding the dev teriorating influence `of moisture upon the battery; te provide an improved flash light wherein the battery is completely insulated fromtheexterior metallic portions of the casing, so that no current from the battery can be caused to pass to the exterior of the casing, thereby avoiding waste of current and unnecessary exhaustion of the battery due to the device being brought into accidental contact with external metallic bodies; and also :to provide an improved switch or circuit closing-device which is entirely cut of circuit when in circuit breaking position, and which is resiliently forced in opposite directions from a central position into its circuit closing and breaking position, so as to make and break the circuit with a snapping action, thereby avoiding looseness and rattling, and preventing accidental or unintentional closure of the circuit but, on the other-hand, insuring a perfect closure ofthe circuit .when vdesired yand a steady light which isv` freel from flickering.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention, together with means whereby the samev may be carried inte effect, will best be understood from the following description of certain forms or embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

in ywhich plete` device.v v 1 Fig. 2 isan enlarged longitudinal section,

partly broken away,of the device shown in 11 I, VAFig. 3 is 'a detail sectional view of the circuit closer or switch, showing the same in circuit closing position.

Fig. 4t is 'an interior perspective view of the circuit closer removed.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the circuit closing member or contact plate per se.

TEig. 6 is a detail perspective View of the circuit closer housing.

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the operating member or finger piece of the circuit closer. p

`Fig. 8 `is a fragmentary elevation of a modified form of reflector mounting, partly brolren away, illustrating means for insulating the, reflector from the metallicl portions of the casing.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the casing comprises a cylindrical body 15, preferably composed of fiber or other insulating material, having at its front and rear ends metallic sleeves 16 and 17 for coperative engage ment respectively with the forward lens retaining cap or thimble 18 and the rear closing cap 19.` The sleeves 16 and 17, which are preferably composed of sheet metal, are slipped over the ends of the body 15 and are thereafter permanently retained in position on said body by indenting the same, as indicated at 20, at a suitable number ofpoints about their peripherics, the indentations entering` without passing through the material of the body 15, thereby firmly securing said sleeves in position on said body without'the use ofthe usual eyelets or other fastening devices requiring perforation of the body in such a manner to admit moisture thereto, and also resulting in a neater appearance of `he finished article. Y

The sleeves 16 and 17 are formed with threaded portions21 which coperate with correspondingly threaded portions 22 formed on the caps 18 and 19, wherebysaid caps are retained in position on said sleeves. Said sleeves are further formed adjacent their inner ends with annular projections or headings 23.. the outer ksurfaces 24jofvwhich are engaged by the .inner edges 25 ofthe caps and are inclined, whereby, when said caps are tightened, engagement of the edges 25 thereof with the inclined surfaces 24 will cause said edges to be slightly expanded so as te form perfectly moisture proof joints with said sleeves.

Within the casing 15 is the usual dry battery or cell 26 having at one end a terminal 27 engaging the central contact button 28 of the lamp 29, the contact shell of which is received in a threaded opening in a reflector 30 which is engaged by the inclined, resilient end 66 of a conductor strip 31 secured by rivets 32 and 33 to the inner face of' the body 15. The other end of the battery or cell 26 is electrically connected by a spring 34 with a Contact plate or metal disk which en gages a conductor strip 36, similar to the conductor strip 31 and likewise secured to the inner face of the body 15 by rivets 3'7" and 38. The Contact plate 35 is formed with a central opening 39, the edges of which are spun outwardly into a central opening in an insulating disk 40 which rests upon a flange 41 turned inwardly from the sleeve 1T over the end of the body 15. The disk 40 is of slightly greater diameter than the inner or threaded portion of: the cap 19 which is formedy adjacent its outer end, with an' annular enlargement 65 to receive the edge of said disk which is sprung thereinto, thereby securely retaining said disk in said cap. The contact plate 35 is formed with an inwardly turned edge 42 to retain the spring 34, said edge presenting an inclined surface which, when the cap 19 is tightened, is forced into engagement with a correspondingly inclined surface on the resilient end 67 of' the conductor strip 36, thereby insuring a perfect Contact between these parts. The end of the cap 19 is formed with a recess 43 in' which the spun edge 39 is received out of contact with the walls of said recess and with depressed portions 44 which engage the disk 40, thereby providing a firm abutment for the outward thrust of the spring 34. It will be seen that, where the cap 19 is tightened, the spring 34 will be held compressed between the end of the battery 26 and the corr tact plate 35, said spring and plate being, however, completely insulated from all parts of the apparatus except the conductor strip 36.

The inturned end 45 of the cap 18 engages the edge of the usual lens of bulls eye 46 between which and the end of the body 15 may be clamped a flange 47 on the edge of the reflector 30 forretaining the latter in place. Preferably, however, and as shown in 8, the reflector, designated in said figure by the numeral 59, is formed at its edge with a spun groove in which is seated an insulating ring or washer 60 which engages the inner wall of the attaching sleeve 61. The outer end of the reflector 59 is engaged by the lens or bulls eye 62 which is forced into engagement therewith by the cap or ring 63, thereby forcing the inner side of said reflector into engagement with the end of the casing body 64 and retaining said reflector in place, while causing the same to be electricallj.7 insulated from all parts of the device except the conductor strip 31. The construction last described is particularly suitable for use in flash lights having flared or enlarged ends.

The outer ends of' the rivets 33 and 38, which secure the conductor strips 31 and 36 to the interior of the body 15, constitute contact members at the exterior of said body. which coperate with the curved ends 54 of a contact plate 53 to close the circuit between said conductor strips. The contact plate 53 slides longitudinally in a housing 48 having ears 49 secured by rivets 50 to the exterior of the body. Said plate is longitudinally slotted for a portion of its length to form side portions 68 and an intermediate resilient tongue 69. Said tongue 69 is stretched and corrugated to provide a central, substantially V-shaped projection on the opposite sides of which are depressions 52. The proj ection 70 and depressions 52 coperate with a boss 51 formed by inwardly indenting the outer face of the housing 48. The plate 5 3 is operated by a preferably sheet metal finger piece 55 mounted to slide longitudinally on the exterior of the housing 48, said finger piece being formed with lugs 56 which extend through slots 57 in said housing and the ends of' which are riveted in apertures 58 formed in the side portions 68 of said plate.

In operation, engagement of the boss 51 with the inclined sides of the projection 70 will cause the plate 53 to be snapped, in one direction or the other from the central position, into the circuit opening position shown in Fig. 2 or into the circuit closing position shown in Fig. 3, displacement of said plate from either of said positions being yieldingly resisted by engagement of the boss 51 with the proper depression 52. It will be seen that in the circuit opening position, the plate 53 is out of engagement with both contacts 33 and 38, so that the switch housing and finger piece will be dead when the device is out of use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In .a flash light, a body provided with a metallic sleeve, a reflector in said sleeve and having a spun U shaped groove formed in its outer edge, an insulating ring sea-ted in said groove and retained thereby and engagingv the interior of said sleeve, and means for retaining said reflector in said sleeve.

2. In a flash light, a substantially cylindrical body composed of insulating material, a metallic sleeve thereon, a reflector in said sleeve having a spun U shaped groove formed in its edge, an insulating ringseated in said groove and retained thereby. and engaging the interior of said sleeve, a Ylens engaging the outer end of said reflector. and a cap in threaded engagement with Said sleeve and engaging the edge of said Alens for clamping said lens to said reflector and thereby holding said reilector in engagement with the end of said body.

3. In a flash light, a hollow body, a battery therein, a spring engaging at one end the end of the battery, insulation at the end of the body, a contact plate having a peripheral turned edge within which the opposite end of said spring is seated and a centrally turned edge within which the insulation is held, whereby the spring, the contact plate, and the insulation are assemn bled and joined to the body, and a cap on said body for compressing said spring between said battery and said contact plate.

4. In a flash light, a hollow body, a battery therein, a spring engaging at one end the said battery, insulation at the end of the body, a contact member having a peripheral turned edge within which the opposite end of said spring is seated, and a centrally turned up edge by which said insulation is held, said contact plate being less in extent than said body and said in-l sulation, a Vconductor strip secured lto the interior of said body and forming a restricted connection with said Contact plate, a cap on said body for compressing said spring between said battery and said contact plate and for forcing said contact plate into engaging position with said conductor strip.

5. In a flash light, a hollow body, a battery therein, a spring engaging at one end the end of said battery, a contact plate engaging the opposite end of said spring, a cap on said body for compressing said spring between said battery and said con tact plate having a central raised portion,

an insulating disk interposed between said contact plate and the outer end of said cap and having a central opening adjacent the raised portion of said cap, and means Jforming a part of and extending from the contact plate through the opening in the insulating disk and therearound for securing said contact plate to said disk, said cap hav` ing a recess forming an air gap about said connecting means.

6. In a flash light, a hollow body, a battery therein, a spring engaging at one end the end of said battery, a contact plate engaging the opposite end of said spring, a cap on said body for compressing said spring between said battery and said contact plate having a central raised portion, and an insulating disk interposed between said plate and cap and having a central opening adjacent the raised portion of said cap and to which said plate is secured by a portion thereof extending throu h and about the opening in said disk, sai disk being thus permanently secured in said cap and removable therewith.

7. A flash light, comprising a body member having at one end a sleeve with attaching means thereon, a cap having attaching means co-acting with the attaching means on said sleeve, a bead on said sleeve having an inclined surface, an inner edge on said cap extending over said sleeve and spaced therefrom, and indentations in said sleeve, said inner edge firmly contacting the inclined surface of said sleeve and forcing the indentations and the inner edge of the bead into 'close contact with the body member.

In testimony whereof I alX my si nature.

FRANK W. SL DY. 

